ICE may use more discretion on deportations

San Diego 
The head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says he wants to give his attorneys more latitude to decide who gets targeted for deportation.

John Morton said Thursday that he was strongly considering a new order that would give field attorneys more independence to decide which cases to take to immigration court.

His remarks at the American Immigration Lawyers Association's annual meeting in San Diego drew strong applause. Many immigration lawyers say government attorneys are often straitjacketed in deciding which cases to pursue and should have more discretion.

Morton didn't discuss specifics but says the directive would also apply to the Customs and Border Protection agency, which arrests hundreds of thousands of people suspected of crossing the border illegally each year.